The Dongguan city center is set to gain a new "internet celebrity" landmark with the planning of 18 skywalks in the first phase of the Dongguan CBD, creating the city's first aerial street. With this development, residents and visitors can traverse through Dongguan Central Park, office buildings, Wanxiang City, and subway stations without worrying about rain or sun exposure.
1. Planning for 18 Walkways to Parks, Malls, and Subway Stations The introduction of the aerial walkways in the Dongguan CBD aims to alleviate the congestion from high activity levels in the international business district, according to Liang Di Piao, a regional officer. He explains that the area’s dense traffic, commuting, leisure, and shopping activities make traditional ground-level space inadequate. By leveraging experiences from Hong Kong, the design incorporates a skywalk system that elevates the streets to a second-floor walkway, thus creating an entire street system above. The Dongguan CBD advocates an "integrated above and below ground" design concept, where an interconnected second-floor walkway and smoothly operating underground spaces create a 24-hour active urban setting.
The skywalk will feature central green axes as main pathways, linking 19 key locations, including Dongguan Central Park, Wanxiang City, China Resources Center, Hong Kong Center, Greater Bay Area International Manufacturing Center, and others. Public platforms outdoors will ensure seamless connectivity through the skywalks.
According to the "Master Plan for the Skywalks in the Initial Development Area," the skywalks will have various functions: some will serve as "image function types" located on secondary roads for aesthetic display, others will focus on efficient connections as "through types," and some will function as "sky gardens" to enhance ground vitality and create a leisure ambiance.
2. Scenic Views and a Relaxing Atmosphere The proposed 18 walkways will feature diverse designs, including ribbon-like structures, mirror-polished stainless steel encapsulating futuristic tunnels, and tiered terraces for scenic views and sunset watching. The design of the China Resources 17 Skywalk adheres to two major principles: ensuring public convenience and emphasizing user-friendly comfort.
Located at the core of the CBD’s central green axis is the "Dongguan Hong Kong Center" mixed-use complex, which is progressing swiftly with three skywalks under construction to create an "urban balcony." The project manager and lead designer for the Hong Kong Center's west third road skywalk, Zhuang Wenliang, highlighted that the second-floor walkway opens up communication across buildings, allowing office workers to travel easily without going to ground level—staying dry on rainy days and cool in sunny weather, away from the noise and heat below.
The green axis skybridge, situated above the green park, represents a sky garden type and is designed to integrate gracefully with adjacent staircases for smooth transitions. Citizens can spiral up via a helix staircase directly connecting to the skywalk, enjoying views of the green park below, with spacious resting areas and the potential for mobile stalls in the future.
The Guanming Road skybridge, characterized as an image function type, spans nearly 50 meters and serves as a crucial connection between residential and commercial buildings on the east and west sides. To address pedestrian crossing needs while adhering to strict structural limitations due to below-ground subway tracks, the design team opted for a unique "W-shaped" structure instead of traditional truss types, effectively resolving two major challenges.
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